The University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and 2cureX have initiated a clinical study in ovarian cancer

May 24 | 2018
Rigshospitalet (“RH”) (Copenhagen), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg (“UKE”) (Hamburg) and 2cureX AB (“2cureX”) today announce that they have initiated a clinical feasibility study to evaluate the ability of 2cureX’s IndiTreat® test to increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy for patients with ovarian cancer. The study consists of 40 patients and is expected to be finalized in 2018. A successful feasibility trial will be followed by a prospective randomized trial.

IndiTreat® was originally developed for colorectal cancer. It has in this ongoing clinical study been shown that IndiTreat® easily can be adopted to ovarian cancer. In eight ovarian cancer patients 2cureX has had 100% success rate in generating 3D micro-tumors. These micro-tumors are being challenged with standard and investigational drugs to identify the drugs to which the patients are sensitive.

Professor Claus Høgdall (RH) being the principal investigator says: “Ovarian cancer is a disease where the patient unfortunately most often is diagnosed in a late stage with a disseminated disease which requires extensive surgery and chemotherapy. Unfortunately, approx. 75% of the ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed with extensive metastatic disease and up to 80% of these patients will later recur and develop chemo resistance. We hope that the IndiTreat® test will enable us to avoid treatment with non-effective chemo therapies and instead enable us to offer the patients individualized effective treatments. We expect the feasibility trial will be finalized in 2018. A successful trial is planned to be followed by a prospective randomized trial to validate the ability of the IndiTreat® test to predict resistance or effectiveness of a specific oncologic treatment”.

The clinical feasibility study has been approved by ethics committees in Denmark and Germany. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the ability of IndiTreat® to predict drug sensitivity and resistance in patients with late stage (II-IV) ovarian cancer. The first objective of the study is to show that micro-tumors can be established from both primary tumor and metastasis. This objective has now been met. These 3D micro-tumors will now be compared regarding sensitivity and resistance to standard and investigational drug treatments. The feasibility study is expected to be finalized in 2018 after testing of 40 patients. The study is an Investigator-Initiated-Trial where costs are shared between the hospitals and 2cureX. A successful feasibility trial will be followed by a prospective randomized trial.

Consultant Andreas Block at UKE: “I am enthusiastic about the preliminary clinical results observed in ovarian cancer. It is of particular importance in ovarian cancer that we chose the right drugs and the right sequence once standard therapeutic options are exhausted. With a technology such as IndiTreat® we will even be empowered to put standard regimens for the individual patient into question if the particular tumor responds much better to currently used off-label drugs. UKE has since 2012 collaborated with 2cureX in developing a predictive tool for the treatment of colorectal cancer. It is exciting to discover that the IndiTreat® technology will have a much broader applicability”.

Ole Thastrup, the CEO of 2cureX, is pleased that the IndiTreat® method, which has hitherto been used for colon cancer, is now also applicable to ovarian cancer. He explains:

“On the basis of the first clinical testing in ovarian cancer, there is great cause for optimism”, explains Ole Thastrup. “I am hopeful that the cooperation between the RH, UKE and 2cureX on adapting the method to ovarian cancer, could help women throughout the world with treatment of this terrible disease in the near future”, he emphasizes.

It is further a pleasure for me to see that we only six months after the listing of 2cureX at Nasdaq Stockholm First North stock exchange has been able to deliver on one of the very important future perspectives being moving into other solid cancer beyond colorectal cancer. This is a major strategic step forward in the development of our organization and expands the foundation for success with IndiTreat®”

Certified Adviser

Sedermera Fondkommission is the Certified Adviser of 2cureX. 

For more information about 2cureX:

Ole Thastrup, CEO;        

E-mail: ot@2cureX.com

Phone: +45 22 11 53 99;               

URL: www.2curex.com

This information is information that 2cureX AB is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, on May 24th, 2018.

About 2cureX

2cureX has developed a test called IndiTreat® (Individual Treatment Design), which is a patented method for selecting the right drug for the right patient. IndiTreat® establishes thousands of 3D micro-tumors that are functionally similar to the patient’s tumor. From a large panel of approved cancer treatments IndiTreat® selects the best treatment for the individual patient. IndiTreat® is expected to become a standard tool in the treatment design for cancer patients.

IndiTreat® is currently being clinically validated in colorectal and ovarian cancer.

The company is listed at the Nasdaq First North stock exchange in Stockholm (symbol “2CUREX”).